Library of Congress Grows 12,000 Items Daily

The monumental task of preserving a nation's intellectual output is a daily, relentless process. A primary engine behind this constant growth is the U.S. Copyright Office, which is part of the Library. By law, creators seeking copyright protection are required to deposit two copies of their work, creating an enormous and continuous stream of new material. This influx is far more than just books; it includes films, musical scores, maps, photographs, software, and even comic books. Curators then sift through this torrent of creativity, selecting the items that will be added to the permanent collection to represent the vast scope of American and global culture.

This mission of comprehensive collection has deep historical roots. After the original library was destroyed by the British during the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold his diverse personal library of 6,487 volumes to Congress to restart the institution. Jefferson's collection was famously eclectic, covering philosophy, science, and literature in multiple languages, establishing the precedent that the library should be a universal repository of knowledge, not one limited to legal and legislative matters. This foundational principle guides the institution today as it actively preserves the ongoing story of human creativity for future generations.